Balthazar
A Soho Bistro with irresistible allure
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Liberty2 on 30 Jun 08
Even the most abbreviated survey of New York's restaurants would be incomplete without a visit here. Two-thirds of its appeal is its fantastic atmosphere. Years of shellfish platter and celebrity studded brunches have given comfortable wear to the red leather banquettes. Friendly and efficient service, executed by well trained staff means you can concentrate on people-watching! Food is consistently good, booking ahead is required but you won’t be disappointed – a must visit!
14 Reviews
Great food, but noisy
2 months ago
Not really a romantic place, as it's got a very high ceiling and is quite loud. Also, you'll find that your table is veryveryclosetothenexttable. The food, however, is top notch.
Ooh la la
4 months ago
What a place! French food with a NY accent. Escoffier may be turning over in his grave, but with steak frites like they serve, who cares
Crew1
4 months ago
A great place to rest your tired legs after some power shopping in this great area of Manhattan. The service is attentive, the food is great and it is probably the best bistro escape in NYC.
French Onion Soup to die for
5 months ago
You have to get the French Onion Soup to start. It's the best I've ever tasted - deep, dark and rich, with oodles of lovely melted cheese and a huge crouton soaking up the soup. Stunning.
if you are someone keep reading...
6 months ago
... so what are you still reading.... pick up the phone and book a table. scarce to find but worth every effort. fantastic champagne lunches and brunches! prefer weekdays.
We had a great meal there last week
8 months ago
Candice your editor had a LARGE steak. I had pasta. The waiter was supremely French - the perfect frenchman in NY. I also went to Schillers (owned by the same people) on Sunday for Bruch.
Balthazar for dinner - Pastis for brunch
8 months ago
If you like Balthazar then definitely check out Pastis on 9th Av. for brunch. Great for bloody mary's and a very similar atmosphere.
Tom's Kitchen not a bad twin for London, but also try The Pantechnicon Rooms on Motcomb Street. It's a little less hectic, easier to get a table and the service is better.
Best steak ever
8 months ago
We had no problem getting a table, although we did go fairly early on a Thursday evening. Really good French fare and the nicest/biggest Creme Brulee I've ever eaten. Grab a table near the bar and you can people watch for hours...
The best place for brunch in NYC
8 months ago
An extraordinary place, with just top notch food and fantastic (even by NY standards) service. Early during the week (say before 9am) a great place for a business meetup, gets busy after that. At weekends, just humming with activity, bustle, waiters-in-white, great food - gets incredibly busy so book ahead at weekend. Wonderful macaroni cheese. My all-time favourite here, though, is simple boiled eggs and soldiers (the soldiers are fresh yet crispy).
Frantic Faux French
9 months ago
Incredibly busy French bistro style superior tourist trap with good food and service. Perhaps not worth the fuss required to get a reservation, or the irritating table turning at peak times, but its fun and I like it.
Really friendly staff
9 months ago
We came without a reservation one Friday eve, stupidly. It worked out in the end, thankfully! So glad to see this gem twinned, now that I'm in London I'll give Tom's Kitchen a try....
Franco gastro bon bon
9 months ago
Does what new York does best: appropriates a famous foriegn concept (the Frnech bistro), makes it world class, and delivers it with a panache that only New York can. Great wine and cheese selection.
A very long brunch
My sister took me there for a Sunday morning brunch in early September. We went early and had no problems getting a table. The restaurant was not completely full, but the service was obscenely slow. Our coffee came after our main courses. The food was okay.
Maybe the service and food were good at one point, but I suspect the hype about this place killed both.
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